biopace - who's still got it!

[barry2017]

IIRC at the time, Shimano said every oval ring design before Biopace was wrong; every other design for oval rings has them at 90 degrees to how Shimano did it.
I quite like Biopace, although I don't have a bike that has it anymore.

 

[Old Fisher]

I like them, have them on my PACE, Saracen and on Mrs S's Specialized. Has anyone tried mounting them at 90 deg from normal?

I have a 1990 Marin Bear valley, had it since new, Biopace, HEAVY, but I really like it, always have, fits me great.

I read an article years ago about how Biopace were designed wrong & suggested turning them, convinced me anyway so I did, been like that for years, can't remember if it makes a difference or not!

Just wonder where I read the article, could have been MTBUK early 90s.

Funnily enough while I was hunting around for some parts for my Celerity I found the owners manual from Fisher and tucked in the front were some notes I had made about things to do on the bike. One of which was to rotate the biopace rings, as per details in a copy of Mountain Biker International mag.

Must do it, even if it is years later!

btw- loved the Bear Valley - yours was with the zolatone (iirc and if spelt correctly) paint? My fav was the '89 black with gold writing version - lvoely bike, nearly bought one instead of my Fisher but as it was 'last years' model at the time they didn't have the size I wanted.

 

[REtrouble]

btw- loved the Bear Valley - yours was with the zolatone (iirc and if spelt correctly) paint? My fav was the '89 black with gold writing version -

Mine has got the grey Zolatone & white "Marin", which has suvived to this day after I learned to be very careful around the decals when I "washed" one of the "Bear Valley" decals off! The fork & bars were black, soon had those painted metalic blue though.
I haven't owned a lot of MTBs, nor have I tried many others but the Bear Valley has always felt good to ride.

I guess that must have been the Biopace article that I read, I turned mine & they were like that for years, though it hardly got ridden, maybe a year or so ago I was cleaning it up & put them back as original, better change them back again now :roll:

If you turn them there is a small rivet/post on the largest chainwheel that stops the chain getting stuck between it & the crank, that needs to come off.

 

[pete_mcc]

Obviously being a poncy garage queen type I don't just have any old Biopace, I have Chris Bell egg rings:

All hand made loveliness - and as they should be, 90 degrees to Biopace!

 

[REtrouble]

My 90 Bear Valley, still on it's original Biopace, out for my lunchtime ride today , It has had very little use lately, that's going to change, I'd forgotten how nice it is to ride.
Oh yeah, before you start, that Kellogs reflector :shock: was put there as a joke on a group ride probably about 1991, it's been there ever since!